On Wednesday, The Camino Project released version 1.0.4 of Camino, its free, open source web browser.
The new version added the following changes:
-Fixed several critical security and stability issues, including those fixed in version 1.8.0.10 of the Mozilla Gecko rendering engine.
-Sheets will now close as expected on Intel-based Macs.
-Upgraded the the bundled Java Embedding Plugin to version 0.9.6.
-Added support for importing iCab 3 bookmarks.
-Improved the handling of Internet Explorer .url shortcut files.
-The text of certain security dialogs now contains “Camino” instead of “(null)”.
-Camino will now make a backup copy of the bookmarks file when it launches if the file is not corrupt.
-Camino will automatically restore bookmarks from a backup when it launches if they are unreadable.
-Further improved ad-blocking.
Camino 1.0.4 is a 14.4 megabyte download for the stable and multilingual releases and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later to run. The application is a universal binary and runs at native speeds on PowerPC and Intel-based hardware.

Despite the excitement and fervor that goes along with someone finding an unannounced new feature of an upcoming Apple product, this one’s been debunked. Reports that iTunes 7.1 included code to support gaming (text boxes and user prompts asking how the user would like to manage their games and disk space on the Apple TV device were found in the string codes) have been proven false.
An article on MacUser demonstrates that the discovered code strings which prompt these user messages were pretty much identical to the iPod’s text strings.
The iPod, of course, has been revamped as a portable gaming device with Apple selling a wider base of games from the iTunes Store for recently released iPods.
In this case, the developer in charge of writing the strings copied and pasted a bit. MacUser also makes another relevant point: should Apple decide to craft the Apple TV into a gaming device, wouldn’t they be announcing this to everyone as opposed to hiding it?
Also, does the Apple TV really stand as a worthy gaming competitor, especially in the face of competing consoles? More to the point, where would it fit into your daily gaming?
Something to discuss.

On Thursday, Apple release an update for its AirPort Extreme wireless networking cards. The update, a 7.2 megabyte download entitled “AirPort Extreme Update 2007-002”, improves compatibility with AirPort Extreme base stations while also fixing issues when accessing third-party access points under the WEP Open System security protocol.
The update also includes a fix wherein attackers present on a wireless network could cause system crashes by sending crafted frame code to an affected system. The issue doesn’t affect the entire line of Intel-based hardware, but only the Intel Core Duo-based Mac Mini, MacBook and MacBook Pro units.
Further details about the update can be found here and the update, as usual, can be downloaded and installed via Mac OS X’s Software Update feature.
The AirPort Extreme Update 2007-002 requires Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later and an Intel-based Mac to run.

Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone at this year’s Macworld trade show quietly signaled the end of Moore’s Law as we know it. At the same time, it ushered in a new era of technical innovation, driven by a new understanding of Moore’s Law.

Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, noted in 1965 that the power of a chip doubles every 24 months, and the concept has been an industry obsession ever since, especially among PC makers. This fascination with faster processors was understandable. The units sold, often in dowdy beige boxes, at the rate of tens of millions every year and, in their slipstream, lifted everyone from commodity memory-chip and disc-drive makers to companies peddling operating systems.

But at the turn of the 21st century, PC penetration hit a silicon ceiling. The machismo of building powerful chips got a reality check, and it wasn’t pretty: Engineers began to run into a limit to how much they could cram into the processors without overheating and running down laptop batteries.

Apple Inc. may sell zippy notebook computers later this year that use the same type of fast memory as music players and digital cameras, driving down prices of hard-disk drives, an analyst said on Thursday.

The maker of the popular iPod music player and Macintosh computers hopes to introduce so-called flash memory in small computers known as subnotebooks in the second half of 2007, Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research who has a “buy” rating on Apple shares and does not own any stock, said in investor notes on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday, Matrox Graphics introduced the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition, a converter device that allows up to three displays to your Mac or PC’s dual-link DVI connector.
The TripleHead2Go, which works in conjunction with your Mac’s video RAM and display output, allows for a resolution up to 3840 x 1024 pixels according to Macworld News. The USB-powered box splits a single DVI signal into three DVI outputs, each capable of driving a display.
The TripleHead2Go Digital Edition retails for US$329 and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to run.

On Thursday, Adobe announced that it will release two versions of its long-awaited Photoshop CS3 graphics program – Photoshop CS3 and Photoshp CS3 Extended.
According to an article on Macworld News, Photoshop CS3 Extended will include the same tool set as Photoshop CS3 but also include a new set of capabilities for 3D graphics, motion graphics, image measurement and analysis. These formats have become more critical to Adobe’s market and the needs of its user base over the past few years.
Photoshop Extended will allow users to perform tasks such as 3D model visualization and texture editing as well as painting and cloning over multiple video frames. The program will be able to export in various formats including QuickTime, MPEG-4 and Adobe Flash Video. The tools, which aren’t designed around making Photoshop a full-fledged 3D tool, are more geared towards supporting the needs of the company’s user base.
Click the jump for the full story…

Fitting into the realm of “Hey, that’s kind of nifty”, Elecom has released its ASP-P100 Portable iPod Speaker Charger, a dual-function device which operates as both a speaker system and charger.
The device can draw power from either an AC adapter or USB connection as well as operate via 4 AA batteries and features integrated volume controls.
Elecom is asking US$59.00 for the unit, which is available in both black and white. The ASP-P100 is compatible with fifth generation iPods as well as the first and second generation of iPod Nanos.

When Adobe releases its long-awaited Creative Suite on March 27th, Apple stands to gain as well.
A recent report by financial analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray released Tuesday stated that Apple could make as much as US$900 million in revenue and sell as many as 450,000 additional units as a result of Adobe’s CS3 launch, Adobe calling the event “the largest software release in Adobe’s 25-year history.”
Though relatively unknown and still kept under wraps, CS3 will be the first version of the Creative Studio package to run natively on Intel-based Macs, a change which could offer a dramatic performance boost.
Click the jump for the full story…

Gear Live caught up with Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, who demoed the new features of the upcoming Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR specification.
A full video demonstration including the spec’s new features and improvements can be found here.
The new specification boasts easier pairing between devices via a new feature called “near-field communications”, increased security and a 5x reduction in battery drain on devices.
Foley mentioned that the specification is “being finalized now” and that the first devices to use this should be available for the 2007 holiday season. The video also runs a side by side comparison in terms of finding a Bluetooth picture frame and sending a camera phone photo to the device, the Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR spec beating out the older protocol by 16 seconds in the test.
Take a look at the video and see what you make of it. And if you have any ideas or comments, let us know.